Let go temporary, now being asked to work.

job seeker

Hi all,

I was placed on temperately leave by my company due to covid19 on the 3rd of April. I was contacted by my manager yesterday and asked to work this coming Monday and Tuesday. I explained that this isn't something that should be happening. However, he said that they are stuck for staff. I declined, although I was told to think about it a number of times.

I text my manager yesterday evening and explained that I would not be able to work, due to my advice from my doctor advising me to self isolate, I have a letter to prove this and he is well aware of this. What I am most annoyed about is, that my manager knows about my health issues, which clearly place me in the high risk category for covid19 as I am on medication. This is not something that I am comfortable taking the chance.

I am afraid that this may result in me losing my job, I am not sure where else to seek advice on this.

Thanks.

witchgirl26

OP little confused. Were you placed on temporary leave or did you take leave because you were advised to self-isolate?

If it was the first, unlike the UK's furlough system, if you were placed on leave due to the crisis, you can be asked to return to work at any point. The furlough system in the UK prohibits this if the company wants to claim the benefit for that employee but there is no such mechanism here and all employees remain eligible for work.

If it's the second - most companies are allowing 14 days self-isolation to allow for any symptoms to present etc. If you are passed this, they may have thought that it is fine to ask you to return to work as normal.

If this advice from your doctor came after you were put on leave, your company was not necessarily aware of it. I know you say that your manager is aware of your health issues but he may not be aware to the extent they could be impacted or they may feel that measures put in place in the workplace should provide enough protection to allow you to return.

job seeker

witchgirl26 wrote: »

If this advice from your doctor came after you were put on leave, your company was not necessarily aware of it. I know you say that your manager is aware of your health issues but he may not be aware to the extent they could be impacted or they may feel that measures put in place in the workplace should provide enough protection to allow you to return.

This, I was placed on temporary leave, I was then told by my doctor that I need to self isolate. I have made my manager aware to the extent of my condition. I see your point. I just needed clarity that I am doing the right thing. I had a think about it and I feel that this is the right choice for me. I think (for me) I have to look after my health. I am not willing to take any chances! Thanks for the reply none the less! I appreciate it!

jimmycrackcorm

job seeker wrote: »

I text my manager yesterday evening and explained that I would not be able to work, due to my advice from my doctor advising me to self isolate, I have a letter to prove this and he is well aware of this. What I am most annoyed about is, that my manager knows about my health issues, which clearly place me in the high risk category for covid19 as I am on medication. This is not something that I am comfortable taking the chance.

I am afraid that this may result in me losing my job, I am not sure where else to seek advice on this.

Thanks.

There's nothing you can do. Uou're well within your rights to self-isolate based on your doctors advice. but your job is protected the same as it was before this pandemic. It doesn't mean though that your job is guaranteed, only that you cannot be permanently let go for nefarious reasons.

_Brian

I think OP wants to continue collecting the higher Covid19 payment pretending to still be a person affected by the pandemic but truthfully they would just be someone who gave up their job which would be a lesser payment. It’s also bad form on the employer to leave them hanging when they think you are still ready to return.

Contact the employer and explain your position.

_Brian

_Brian wrote: »

I think OP wants to continue collecting the higher Covid19 payment pretending to still be a person affected by the pandemic but truthfully they would just be someone who gave up their job which would be a lesser payment. It’s also bad form on the employer to leave them hanging when they think you are still ready to return.

Contact the employer and explain your position.

Where did you get any of the above?
The OP has a medical condition that puts them at greater risk and have been advised to isolate themselves.

The employer knows this but wants them to return and leave isolation for work.

job seeker

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Where did you get any of the above?
The OP has a medical condition that puts them at greater risk and have been advised to isolate themselves.

The employer knows this but wants them to return and leave isolation for work.

Yes, Its worth adding, I was informed also that I wouldn’t be paid as normal either. I was told my hours would be “wrote on a sheet and I would be paid when we get back to normal” this is also something that didn’t sit right with me. (I thought I included this in the op, but I didn’t)

job seeker

job seeker wrote: »

Yes, Its worth adding, I was informed also that I wouldn’t be paid as normal either. I was told my hours would be “wrote on a sheet and I would be paid when we get back to normal” this is also something that didn’t sit right with me. (I thought I included this in the op, but I didn’t)

Are there likely to be job loses at your company?

Bass Reeves

job seeker wrote: »

Yes, Its worth adding, I was informed also that I wouldn’t be paid as normal either. I was told my hours would be “wrote on a sheet and I would be paid when we get back to normal” this is also something that didn’t sit right with me. (I thought I included this in the op, but I didn’t)

Can you work from home

imfml

Working for two days may also affect whatever social welfare you are receiving, you could use this as your reason too. Tell your manager you don't need to think about it. Perhaps they should have thought about it before they let people go so quickly, instead of now asking employees to think about when they have high sick rates.

imfml

imfml wrote: »

Working for two days may also affect whatever social welfare you are receiving, you could use this as your reason too. Tell your manager you don't need to think about it. Perhaps they should have thought about it before they let people go so quickly, instead of now asking employees to think about when they have high sick rates.

Most businesses are only keeping on core essential staff in the workplace, but they also sometimes have to take days off due to illness/leave/unforeseen circumstances. I don’t think it is poor planning to need to call someone in that event. It would be much poorer to have more staff coming in all the time, un-necessarily wouldn’t you think?

It won’t effect social welfare, this is why the ops employer is going to pay for the hours worked when normal employment resumes.

Op, if you feel that returning to work now might effect your health, don’t take the risk. But do bare in mind hat Covid 19 is going to be around for a long time until a vaccine becomes widely available.

DM_7

job seeker wrote: »

This, I was placed on temporary leave, I was then told by my doctor that I need to self isolate. I have made my manager aware to the extent of my condition. I see your point. I just needed clarity that I am doing the right thing. I had a think about it and I feel that this is the right choice for me. I think (for me) I have to look after my health. I am not willing to take any chances! Thanks for the reply none the less! I appreciate it!

Firstly are you an essential worker? If not employers should not be asking anyone to work.

In terms of your current leave does that mean you were on the temporary lay-off from work rather than you applied for and took leave?

If so and the employer now needs you back (and bonafide essential) but you are choosing to remain home you now need to arrange another type of leave with your employer.

Employers have been asked to be flexible so talk to people with authority to grant leave, it is not clear from your posts that your own manager has that role within the organisation - I am assuming no by the description of manager rather than HR or employer. No entitlement exists for you to stay home as a potentially vulnerable person so it requires understanding from and engagement with the employer..

The most important thing is clarity between you and employer - as seen in thread I had to make an assumption about your manager, another poster has assumed you might be worried you will lose the 350 payment - so engage with your employer and don't let them make assumptions about your circumstances and needs at this time.

DM_7

DM_7 wrote: »

Firstly are you an essential worker? If not employers should not be asking anyone to work.

In terms of your current leave does that mean you were on the temporary lay-off from work rather than you applied for and took leave?

If so and the employer now needs you back (and bonafide essential) but you are choosing to remain home you now need to arrange another type of leave with your employer.

Employers have been asked to be flexible so talk to people with authority to grant leave, it is not clear from your posts that your own manager has that role within the organisation - I am assuming no by the description of manager rather than HR or employer. No entitlement exists for you to stay home as a potentially vulnerable person so it requires understanding from and engagement with the employer..

The most important thing is clarity between you and employer - as seen in thread I had to make an assumption about your manager, another poster has assumed you might be worried you will lose the 350 payment - so engage with your employer and don't let them make assumptions about your circumstances and needs at this time.

If the ops employer is still open, it must be on the list of essential businesses. Anyone necessary for the continued provision of service, is an essential worker by association I would have thought.

Agree with you, communication is the key.

DM_7

Dav010 wrote: »

If the ops employer is still open, it must be on the list of essential businesses. Anyone necessary for the continued provision of service, is an essential worker by association I would have thought.

Agree with you, communication is the key.

Good point!

Business may be essential but not all workers are. The change of temporary lay off to asking this person to go to work may not have been explained well so may just be something the employee needs to talk through with employer?

job seeker

Dav010 wrote: »

Are there likely to be job loses at your company?

No.

job seeker

Bass Reeves wrote: »

Can you work from home

No, I’m a catering assistant in a canteen of a pharmaceutical factory.

job seeker

DM_7 wrote: »

Firstly are you an essential worker? If not employers should not be asking anyone to work.

In terms of your current leave does that mean you were on the temporary lay-off from work rather than you applied for and took leave?

If so and the employer now needs you back (and bonafide essential) but you are choosing to remain home you now need to arrange another type of leave with your employer.

Employers have been asked to be flexible so talk to people with authority to grant leave, it is not clear from your posts that your own manager has that role within the organisation - I am assuming no by the description of manager rather than HR or employer. No entitlement exists for you to stay home as a potentially vulnerable person so it requires understanding from and engagement with the employer..

The most important thing is clarity between you and employer - as seen in thread I had to make an assumption about your manager, another poster has assumed you might be worried you will lose the 350 payment - so engage with your employer and don't let them make assumptions about your circumstances and needs at this time.

I wouldn’t consider myself to be essential staff.

I called the social welfare a day before I was put on temporary lay off, I was told to apply for the covid19 payment, as it was the company that was laying me off. I outlined my illness and, I was still told to apply for the above as that was the primary reason for me not having work.

I had already explained my circumstances in terms of my illness to my lines manager weeks prior. He told me back then, that I would lose my job, as I wasn’t being laid off by the company. so I continued to work. I have not felt comfortable being there. As I seen that the measures put in place, aren’t being taken seriously to a certain extent.

You find yourself in a difficult situation op, employed yet temporarily laid off, available to work yet unable to (unemployed payment transfers to JSA soon). It is hard to see how this is going to play out in a couple of weeks when business starts to reopen, Covid 19 will still be there, but you feel you are at risk, but you are not ill. You will be asked to return to work, but may refuse to do so, the end results would appear to be inevitable.

job seeker

DM_7 wrote: »

employee needs to talk through with employer?

I was told that there would be no work for me. I contacted hr and requested a letter. The letter outlines such. Hr didn’t actually know about this and contacted my lines manager, to double check and only emailed me the letter once they made contact and ensured that I was put on temporary lay off..

job seeker

Dav010 wrote: »

You find yourself in a difficult situation op, employed yet temporarily laid off, available to work yet unable to (unemployed payment transfers to JSA soon). It is hard to see how this is going to play out in a couple of weeks when business starts to reopen, Covid 19 will still be there, but you feel you are at risk, but you are not ill. You will be asked to return to work, but may refuse to do so, the end results would appear to be inevitable.

I see what you mean. It definitely is a difficult one. By no means do I feel comfortable with my illness being placed in that environment. Worst case scenario I go to work and contact covid 19, that’s quite a risk as well..